1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing emulsions or suspensions, and comprises a rotary homogenizer which includes a housing in which there is disposed a rotating rotor. The end face of which is provided with collars having apertures; the collars of the rotor rotate between collars which are similarly disposed on the housing. The axial inlet, while leaving a gap, opens centrally against the end face of the rotor, and the outlet is radially disposed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rotary homogenizers of the aforementioned general type are known, as disclosed, for example, in German Auslegeschrift No. 11 82 043. The rotors and stators are provided with slot-shaped or circular openings, rotate concentrically, within one another, and have an excellent mixing and homogenizing effect due to the opening ratios of the concentric rings and due to the small distance between the rotor and the stator. Due to the finite height of the stator and the rotor, the latter also have a slight conveying effect.
With material which is to be mixed and which has, for example, intrinsic viscosity, the drive power of the homogenizer is virtually independent of the viscosity. The degree of intermixing depends exclusively upon the number of openings on the individual collars, as well as on the speed. When the number of openings or teeth is increased, the speed can be reduced without impairing the mixing results. Therefore, by appropriate construction of the collars, the electrical drive power can be minimized.
With the use of the homogenizer, and by means of the defining walls of the openings or by means of the teeth of the collar bodies, sections which were advanced over an adjacent collar are cut off and are brought to another location, where the cut off slice is again mixed with other material. The mixing process can be conceived approximately as follows: the material which is to be mixed is grasped as it leaves each of the openings by the adjacent collar, and is taken along as little slices. Thus, there is constantly effected a cutting off of small pieces of material, with subsequent rearrangement and renewed size reduction of the cut-off pieces. The size reduction and rearranging processes become more intensive as the number of openings on the collars increases. The degree of intermixing depends upon the product, the number of apertures on the individual collars, and the speed.
The homogenizer operates in such a way that only slight inherent conveyance is achieved. Thus, the hydraulic power of the electrical drive power to be installed on such a machine is approximately 5% of total power. The remaining 95% of the electrical work power is homogenization power.
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which, while not altering the good homogenization, minimizes the homogenization power and at the same time increases the conveying power.